Machine for rolling towels



E. HAJOS MACHINE FOR ROLLING TOWELS Jan. 17, 1961 Filed-June 9, 1954 7 Sheets-Sheet l m w m Eugene Ha/os By his afforn Jan. 17, 1961 E. HAJOS MACHINE FOR ROLLING TOWELS 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 9, 1954 INVENTOR. Eugene Hajos BY Afro/nay Jan. 17, 1961 E. HAJOS 2,968,449

MACHINE FOR ROLLING TOWELS Filed June 9, 1954 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 T N m Jan. 17, 1961 Filed June 9, 1954 E: HAJOS MACHINE FOR ROLL ING TOWELS 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

Eugene Ho/os BY h/s al/amey Jan. 17, 1961 E. HAJOS MACHINE FOR ROLLING TOWELS Fil ed June 9, 1954 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 6;

56 5- r="" 5 i I 9 l0 //7 van/0r Eugene Her "05 Jan. 17, 1961 E. HAJOS MACHINE FOR ROLLING TOWELS 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 9, 1954 E. HAJOS MACHINE FOR ROLLING TOWEL-S Jan. 17, 1 961 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed June 9, 1954 nited States -2,96 4 MACHINE FORfROLLING TOWELS Eugene Hajos Fort Lee, .N.J., assignorto Premier Laundry, Inc., New Yin lr, Nf.Y., aj.corpo ration of New York Filed June 9,- -1954,"Ser. No. 435,649- 13 Claims. j (Cl 242 -571) This invention relates to an improvement in machines for rolling up long towelsaor; other long .articles oflinen or the like.

Roll towels of the type commonly used in public wash-1.. rooms are, as one example, approximately 45 yardslong, 10 /242 inches wide (depending upon shrinkage in laundering), and $4 inch ithicks After washing; such a i towel is generally passed in itsdirection of length through an ironer at a usuallinear speed as high as 100 feet per second. Itis then necessary-to roll-up the .towel' for" rolled, so as to eject same.

Another object of my inventionsiskto: :1:n'.ovide:.-the

spindles withautomatically:retractable meansvfor grippingthe-leading .portionwf the towel.;so as to-.ensure proper engagement thereofuponthespindles during the.

winding operation.

Another object of myinventionis {to provide a lateral-- ly movable carriageuponwhich the spindles .aremount ed, and to provide;means -for sensingthe-lateral posi tion of the carri-agerelativeto one sideedge of the towel;

and means responsive to said sensing, means for-aua tomatically adjusting the lateral position tof thercarriage to ensure that one end face of the final roll. will be-sub-;-

stantially planar.

Other objects ofmyqinvention areto provide K133118101:

'30 which the towel may be rolled and. which. are adapted to Y be automtically retracted when the .towelis completely automatically gluing-the trailing end of the towel to the roll, andto-provide remotely. controlled means. for:

marking stained or torn towels.

Other objects and.advantages of my invention will be, come apparent from-the followingdescription, in'conjunctionwith the annexed drawings, in which a preferred.

embodiment is disclosed.- The drawings .are substantially to scale of a working model of-the invention. .7

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine according to my invention for rolling up longtowels, thefront'of ,the machine being at the right-of the view.

Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section through thecenter of the machine omitting the associatedinput conveyor and taken on the line 2- 2 of Fig. .;3.

Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe machine; omitting theinput;

conveyor-and taken one level-below the;;top of that;

conveyor; showing-{the spindles and drive-,-,this cor-g responding to a view inhorizontal sectionvomthe.linew 3-3 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 4 is a view inreanelevation-of the-spindles and;

drive of the machine of ;Figs.-.,l-;3.

Fig. 5 is a fragment-a-ryzviewyin horizontal -section;of-

thezspindle of the samemachineas shownin Fig: 1, taken on the line 5.- 5 .of ;Fig.

Fig.6 is aviewin-ve'rtical section in a plane parallel to Fig; 2 but near one side of the carriage, taken on the line 6-6 ofFig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a detail fragmentary top plan view of Fig. 6, showing in plan the switches for detecting the lateral position of the towel.

Fig. 8 is a section on'line 3.8 of Fig. 6.

Fig.9 is a section on line 99 of Fig. 6, showing a spindle in extended position.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 showingthe spindle retracted.

Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuit of the machine.

Upon reference to the drawings in detail, it will be noted that Fig.1 shows fragmentarily the longitudinally extending output-conveyor of an ironer or the like. As is also shown in Fig. 1, may improved machine for rolling towels has a main frame 31 which is shown in its longitudinally extending operating position, in which an input conveyor '32 is adapted to receive towel T from conveyor 30 adjacent the input or rear end of said input COIlVfiYOIGZJ Motor M is mounted on main frame 31 intermediate, its ends and near the bottom thereof. Said motor M' has a lateral output shaft 33 carrying a pulley 34 which is coupled to conveyor 32 by means including slip clutch 34a;

Said input conveyor 32 has a discharge portion 32a atthe top of the machine, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6 and as shown in detail in Figs. 2, 7 and 8.

Carriage: 35 'ismounted on main frame 31 below the front-.or,dischargerend of conveyor32 and is laterally movable, the movement thereof being controlled by spring: 4 :and by means 'associated with switches GSR, GSLandgTPSJ These switches are carried by carriage 35 in posi-tionto be actuated by towel T when it is passing over'conveyor portion 32a; Said carriage 35 is shown in Fig. 1 and is shown in greater detail in. Figs; 2-6.

A pair of retract-able and turnable spindles 36 are carried by carriage 35 in position to receive towel T from conveyor 32 for winding of the towels T. Said spindles 36 are shown in Figs. 2-4 and are shown in detail in Figs. 9 and 10.

An output conveyor 37'is mounted on 'main frame 31 below carriage 35' in position to receive rolled towels T after their discharge from spindles 36.

The control circuit and the control devices for the machine are shown in detail in Fig. 11.

Input conveyor Ironer conveyor 30 may be the usual output conveyor of a conventional ironer'and includes an endless longitudinal apron 40-extending around roller 41. Suitable meas (not shown) drive apron 40 in the direction of extension 32a, frame 31 has an upstanding extension 31a which carries a lateral roller at the rear end thereof, and further lateral roller 46 at the front end thereof,

said roller 46 being on the same level as roller 45. An

endless conveyor tape 47 extends around roller 42, upwardly and forwardly therefrom, over roller 45, around roller 46 and back over a lateral idler roller 47a mounted onframe extension 31a directly below roller 45, and hence back to said roller 42. Lateral pressure roller 48 is mounted upon frame extension 31a directly above roller 46. Lateral pressure plate 55 is fixed to frame extension 31a by suitable bracket means and frictionally abuts thelower face of'the upper level of tape 47 between rollers 45 and 46 ('see Fig.2).

A pulley belt 49 couples the motor pulley 34 and the input pulley 50 .ofslip clutch 34a. Conveyor tape 47 Patented Jan. 17, 1961..

is driven in the direction of arrow 51. Clutch 34a is of any suitable conventional type such as will permit a retarding tension on tape 47 to act effectively.

A pair of supoprt arms 52 are pivoted at 53 to the rear end of frame 31 and are inclined upwardly and forwardly. At their front ends, these arms 52'carry a lateral pressure roller 54, which is located slightly in front of, as well as below, the extreme front of ironer conveyor 40.

In operation, the front or leading portion of towel T strikes tape 47 behind roller 54 and is then carried frictionally between roller 54 and tape 47, as Shown in Fig. 1. Towel T then travels forwardly and upwardly on tape 47, over roller 45, then on the horizontal tape 47 in conveyor portion 32a, and finally travels frictionally betwen tape 47 and roller 48 and then drops downwardly, as shown in Fig. 2. Any excess of tension exerted by the ironer upon towel T, relative to the driving force exerted upon tape 47 by motor M, is taken up by the slip clutch 34a.

The carriage For support of carriage 35, main frame 31 has fixed thereto a pair of vertically and laterally extending bracket plates 75 which are longitudinally spaced from each other and longitudinally opposed to each other. Each plate 75 carries a pair of laterally spaced rollers 56 on the inner face thereof, these rollers 56 being turnable about respective longitudinal axes. I provide a carriage frame 60 having front and rear lateral arms 57 and side connecting arms 58. Each said arm 57 has a lateral slot 59 in which free end portions of rollers 56, of reduced diameter, are turnably located. Rollers 56 are located inwardly of the ends of slots 59, so that carriage frame 60 is laterally movable to a selected limited extent relative to main frame 31.

There is a longitudinal bracket 61 fixed to the front face of the rear bracket plate 75, outwardly of the arm 58 of carriage frame 60, as viewed from the front of the machine. Spring 4 couples bracket 61 and said left side arm 58 and urges carriage 35 to the left as viewed from the front of the machine, this direction being designated by arrow L (Figs. 3, 8 and 11).

A laterally extending hydraulic air cylinder 7 is fixed to the outer face of said bracket 61 and has a piston rod 5 extending out of its inner end and through said bracket 61. The inner end of rod 5 is fixed to the left side arm 58. As shown in Fig. 11, cylinder 7 has a piston 6 fixed to the end of rod 5 and a port 12 adjacent its outer end. Compressed air may be directed into port 12 and against piston 6 so as to move carriage 35 to the right as viewed from the front of the machine (against the action of spring 4), this direction being designated by arrow R (Figs. 3, 8 and 11).

A pair of spaced bearing plates 62 and 63 are fixed to carriage frame 60. These plates extend vertically and also longitudinally and are located inwardly of the side arms 58. Each said plate 62 and 63 is formed at its lower front and rear edges with respective integral bosses 64 (Fig. 4) which are adapted to be fixed to the respective front and rear cross-arms 57. These plates 62 and 63 are of similar shape, except that plate 63, which is located on the right of the machine, has an upper extension 63:: for carrying the previously mentioned switches GSR, GSL and TPS.

Said plate extension 63a extends upwardly to approximately the level of the tensioning plate 55. A pair of spaced upstanding posts 65 are fixed to the upper edge of plate extension 63a (see Figs. 6, 7 and 8). A longitudinal support arm 66 has suitable openings through which the posts 65 respectively extend slidably. A horizontal plate 67 overlies plate 55 and conveyor tape 47 and is fixed to arm 66 by means of arms 68. Said plate 67 is optionally round and preferably has a bevelled edge 6711.

A bracket 69 is fixed to arm 66 and overlies and is 4 spaced from plate 67. The casings of a rightvguide switch GSR, a left guide switch GSL and of towel presence sensing switch TPS are fixed to the lower face of bracket 69. Switch lever 8 extends downwardly (Fig. 8) and forwardly and laterally outwardly (Fig. 7) from the casing of switch TPS and is turnable about a lateral axis. The switch lever 9 of switch GSL and the switch lever 10 of switch GSR are oriented similarly to switch lever 8. As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, lever 8 is located laterally inwardly of levers 9 and 10, and lever 10 is located to the right of lever 9, as viewed from the front of the machine. Also, the free end of lever 9 is located slightly in front of the free end of lever 10. These switch levers 8, 9 and 10 are normally spring-biased downwardly so that their free ends normally extend through appropriate openings 69a in plate 67 into frictional contact with tape 47. Switch GSL is normally closed. Switches TPS and GSR are normally open.

In operation, the forwardly moving towel T having a right side edge Ta (as viewed from the front of the machine) rides over the bevelled plate edge 67a and hence over the plate 67, raising any of the switch levers 8, 9 and 10 under which it passes sufficiently to open or 1 close, the case may be, the switches respectively associated with said levers. Switch TPS is located sufficiently inwardly of the side edges of tape 47 so that the forwardly moving towel T maintains the switch closed as long as it is passing the longitudinal position thereof. As will be explained in detail below, the closing of switch TPS is a necessary prelude to the actuation of the carriage-shifting mechanism. These two switches constitute towel edge sensing means. It will be noted that they are substantially in the same line transverse to the direction of movement of the towel as the TPS switch. This avoids the occurrence of spurious carriage movements which might occur if the TPS switch were at a later point on the towel.

Since the switches GSR and GSL are located close to a side edge of tape 47, the actuation of these switches depends upon the lateral position of towel T. In the desired lateral position of carriage 35 relative to towel T, the towel edge Ta passes between switches GSR and GSL, so that only switch GSL is actuated. Accordingly in this position, both of these switches are open, and carriage 35 is stationary laterally relative to towel T. If towel T shifts relative to carriage 35 from its desired position to the right, as viewed from the front of the machine, towel T passes under switch lever 10, so that switch GSR is closed. As a result, and as will be explained in detail below, carriage 35 is moved to the right until switch GSR opens again, at which point carriage 35 is again in its desired lateral position relative to towel T. If towel T shifts relative to the carriage 35 from its desired position to the left, as viewed from the front of the machine, towel T passes to the left of switch lever 9, so that switch GSL returns to its normal closed position. As a result, and as will be explained in detail below, carriage 35 is moved to the left until switch GSL opens again, at which point carriage 35 is again in its desired lateral position relative to towel T.

The bearing plates 62 and 63 are formed with respective laterally alined bearing housings 70 through which a lateral bearing sleeve 71 extends turnably (see Figs. 4 and 5). Lateral shaft 1 extends turnably through said sleeve 71 and also through the side plates of frame extension 31a. Sleeve 71 and shaft 1 are located near the upper rear of plates 62 and 63. Said bearing plates 62 and 63 are also formed with respective laterally alined bearing housings 72 through which a lateral bearing sleeve 73 extends turnably. Lateral shaft 2 extends turnably through said sleeve 73 and also through the side plates of frame extension 31a. Sleeve 73 and shaft 2 are located near the upper front of plates 62 and 63.

belt 167 to a pulley 34b on motor shaft 33, so that motor M drives shaft 1. Gear 76 is mounted on shaft 1 outwardly of pulley 74. A lateral stub shaft 77 turnably mounted on frame extension 31a carries a gear 78 which meshes with gear 76, as well as a further gear 79 which meshes with a gear 80 mounted on a shaft 2. Accordingly, motor M also drives shaft 2, the gearing preferably being such that shaft 2 turns at the relatively slow rate of approximately twelve revolutions per minute.

Since shafts 1 and 2 are fixed from lateral movement, and sleeves 71 and 73 are laterally movable with carriage 35, appropriate coupling means for shaft 1 and sleeve 71, as well as for shaft 2 and sleeve 73, are provided. This is clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

Each bearing housing 70 has a sleeve bearing 700 through which sleeve 71 extends, with retaining rings 70b fixed to sleeve 71 on either side of bearing housing 70 preventing lateral movement of sleeve 71 relative to carriage 35. The ends of sleeve 71 serve as bearings for shaft 1, with shaft 1 being otherwise radially spaced from sleeve 71.

Collar 81 is fixed to sleeve 71 outwardly of plate 63, by means of set screw 82. The outer portion 810 of collar 81 is of enlarged diameter to provide a shoulder 81b. Sprocket 83 is mounted upon the inner portion of collar 81 and is fixed to collar portion 81a by lateral screws 84. The outer collar portion 81a is provided with an annular flange 81.0 of enlarged diameter. Lateral rods 85, preferably three in number, extend through suitable bores in flange 81c and also extend laterally outwardly thereof, said rods 85 being fixed in said bores by suitable set screws 86.

Said rods 85 are coupled to shaft 1 by slip clutch 87. This slip clutch 87 includes a collar 88 fixed to shaft 1 outwardly of collar 81 by means of set screw 89. An annular clutch disc 90 is turnably mounted upon the central portion of collar 88 by means of ball bearing assembly 91. The inner race of bearing 91 is fixed to collar 88, and disc 90 is fixed to the outer race of bearing 91. Rods 85 extend slidably through suitable throughand-through openings in said clutch disc 90. Annular friction pads 92 and 93 are respectively fixed to the respective outer and inner faces of disc 90, and are held from turning relative thereto by lateral pins 94. The outer portion 88a of collar 88 is of enlarged diameter to provide an inner shoulder 88b. Annular disc 95 is mounted on collar 38 in abutment with shoulder 88b and is fixed to collar portion 88a by lateral pins 96. Said disc 95 has an inner annular flange whose inner face frictionally abuts friction pad 92.

The inner portion of collar 88 is screw threaded at 880. An internally threaded split bushing 98 is screwed onto the threaded collar portion 88c. An annular disc 97 is fixed to the inner face of bushing 98 by means of lateral pins 96. An annulus 99 is fixed to the inner face of disc 97 by means of pins 100 and frictionally abuts friction pad 93. The split portions of bushing 98 are joined by screw 101, which locks the bushing on collar 88 after the desired pressure of disc 95 and annulus 99 on the respective friction pads 92 and 93 has been attained.

Since disc 95 and annulus '99 are fixed relative to shaft 1, and since sleeve 71 turns in unison with disc 90, shaft 1 drives sleeve 71. However, if the load on sleeve 71 increases, disc 90 can turn relative to collar 80, by means of the bearing 91 and against the frictional force upon the pads 92 and 93, so that sleeve 71 can slip relative to shaft 1. At the same time, sleeve 71 can move laterally relative to shaft 1 because the rods 85 are movable through the bores of disc 90.

Outwardly of bearing plate 62, sleeve 71 is provided with hub 102 upon which a sprocket 83a similar to sprocket 83 is mounted.

Each bearing housing 72' has a sleeve bearing 72a through which sleeve 73 extends, with retaining rings '6 72b fixed to sleeve 73 on either side of bearing housing 72 preventing lateral movement of sleeve 73 relative to carriage 35. The ends of sleeve 73 serve as bearings for shaft 2, with shaft 2 being otherwise radially spaced from sleeve 73.

There is a collar 103 fixed on the end of sleeve 73 on shaft 2 by means of a set screw 104. This collar is just outside the plate 63. There are laterally extending rods a, preferably three in number which extend through suitable bores in said collar 103 and also extend laterally outwardly thereof, said rods 85a being fixed in said bores by suitable set screws 86a.

Collar 105 is fixed to shaft 2 outwardly of sleeve 103, by means of set screw 106a. Rods 85a extend slidably through suitable through-and-through openings in said collar 105, so that shaft 2 drives collar 103, and sleeve 73 is laterally movable relative to shaft 2.

Glue roller 106 is mounted on sleeve 73 between the bearing housings 72. the end portions of glue roller 106 are of reduced diameter and are fixed to sleeve 73 by respective set screws 107.

Shaft 108 extends between plates 62 and 63 and is turnably supported by respective bearings 109 on plate 63 and 110 on plate 62 (see Figs. 2 and 3). Gear 111 is fixed to shaft 108 outwardly of plate 62 and meshes with a gear 112 fixed to shaft 2 outwardly of plate 62. Glue take-up roller 113 is fixed to shaft 108 inwardly of plates 62 and is located in front of and below and in frictional abutment with roller 106. The lower portion of roller 113 is located within a laterally extending trough 114 which is fixed to the carriage frame and Which may be filled with glue 115.

In order to tension roller 113 against roller 106, plates 116 are respectively mounted on the inner faces of plates 62 and 63 by means of lateral pivots 117 located behind shaft 108. Shaft 108 extends turnably through suitable openings in said plates 116. The front ends of plates 116 are tensioned upwardly by any suitable means 118 including springs which couple said front ends of said plates to said carriage frame.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the surface of the turning glue roller 106 is continuously coated with glue and the thickness of the coating of glue can be adjusted.

The spindles The spindle 36 on the right side of the machine, as viewed from the front, is shown in detail in Figs. 9 and 10. Spindle 36 is shown in operating position in Fig. 9 and in withdrawn position in Fig. 10.

In order to support the spindle assembly, plate 63 is provided with a lateral bearing boss 119. A laterally extending collar 120 is located within the interior space of bearing boss 119 and is'turnably connected thereto to a pair of laterally spaced, conventional ball-bearing assemblies 121. The inner end of the bearing assembly facing toward the towel is preferably closed by a plate 122 with a suitable central opening.

The outer end portion 120a of collar 120 is of increased diameter and is provided with an outwardly extending, peripheral, annular outer end flange 12%. An annular sprocket wheel 123 is fixed to the outer face of flange 12% by means of screws 123a. Said sprocket wheel 123 is coupled to sprocket 83 by means of chain 124- (see Figs. 4, 5 and 6). Similarly, sprocket 83a is is coupled to the other sprocket 123 of the other spindle 36 by means of a further chain 124a, so that shaft 1 drives the spindle collars 120 through the slip clutch 87. The spindles 36 are located below and forwardly of shaft 1.

Spindle sleeve 125 extends frictionally slidably through the bore of collar 120 and is of greater length than said collar 120 (see Figs 4, 9, 10 and 11). A hollow shaft 126 is located within the outer portion of spindle sleeve 125. This shaft 126 has an inner portion which fits frictionally and slidably within the bore of sleeve 125, an intermediate portion of slightly reduced diameter and an outer portion of more greatly reduced diameter.

A shoulder 1266 is defined at the junction of the inner and intermediate portions of shaft 126. The inner wall of sleeve 125 is thickened at its outer end portion to define a shoulder 125a at the inner end of this thickened portion. The limit of outward movement of shaft 126 relative to sleeve 125 is reached when shoulder 1260 strikes shoulder 125a (Fig. 10).

Shaft 126 has a hollow, lateral, througli-and-through bore 127. This bore 127 has a central portion 127a of increased diameter, as well as an inner flared portion 127b which communicates with the inner end wall of shaft 126.

A laterally extending air cylinder 128 is fixed to the outer face of plate 58 and has an inwardly extending piston rod 129. This piston rod 129 extends slidably through a suitable opening in plate 58 and also extends clearingly into bore 127. The inner end of rod 129 is fixed to the inner race of a conventional ball-bearing assembly 130 which is located within bore portion 127a, the outer race of said bearing assembly 130 being fixed to shaft 126. Accordingly, shaft 126, sleeve 125 and collar 120 are adapted to be rotated in unison relative to the non-rotating rod 129 and bearing boss 119. However, shaft 126 and sleeve 125 are laterally movable relative to each other and also relative to collar 120.

Lateral support rods 131 extend into suitable lateral bores extending into collar portion 120a from the outer face thereof, and are secured in said bores by respective set screws 132. These rods 131 are optionally three in number and are equally spaced circumferentially relative to the axis of collar 120. Rods 131 extend outwardly from collar 120 through the central opening of sprocket 123 and to a point located slightly inwardly of arm 58. The outer ends of rods 131 extend through suitable bores in an annulus 133, said annulus 133 being fixed to the respective rods 131.

The outer end of shaft 126 is formed with an integral, outwardly extending, annular flange 126a which has suitable openings through which the rods 131 respectively extend slidably. A generally cylindrical flange 126b is integral with flange 126a at the front face thereof, and is located radially outwardly of rods 131. The front outer peripheral surface 134 of flange 126b is cylindrical. The outer peripheral surface of flange 126b then tapers radially inwardly at 134a, this tapered surface 134a being co-extensive with the front portion of the periphery of flange 126a. The rear portion 1341') of the periphery of flange 126a is cylindrical.

An annular disc 135 is mounted on sleeve 125 near the outer end thereof and is held from outward movement relative thereto by retaining ring 136. An annular plate 137 abuts the outer end face of sleeve 125 and is formed with a cylindrical shoulder which frictionally abuts the outer periphery of sleeve 125. Said plate 137 is fixed to disc 135 by means of a plurality of screws 138. Plate 137 has an integral, outwardly extending flange 137a whose inner peripheral surface is of approximately the same diameter as that of peripheral surface 134. Plate 137 and disc 135 respectively have suitable lateral bores through which rods 131 respectively extend slidably.

A solid cylindrical insert 139 fits frictionally within the inner end of sleeve 125 and has a head of slightly enlarged diameter external to and abutting the inner end of sleeve 125. Said insert 139 has a plurality of recesses 140 in its peripheral face, said recesses having major axes which are parallel to the axis of insert 139. Preferably, there are three such recesses 140, and they are equally spaced circumferentially about the axis of insert 139. Each said recess 140 communicates at its inner end with an opening 141 which extends to the inner end face of insert 139.

A lever 142 is located in recess and also extends through opening 141 and outwardly of insert 139. Lever 142 is mounted upon the peripheral wall of opening 141 by means of pivot 143 in such a way as to confine lever 142 to movement in. a radial plane relative to the axis of insert 139. A radially and outwardly extending prong 144 is fixed to lever 142 near its inner end. In the retracted position of prong 144 (Fig. 10), said prong is located wholly inwardly of the outer periphery of sleeve 125. In its extended position (Fig. 9), prong 144 projects outwardly through an opening 145 formed in the wall of sleeve 125. The inner end of lever 142 is formed with a ball 146.

Located in the bore 127 of the hollow shaft 126 between central portion 127a and the inner flared portion 1227b is a rod 148. This rod 148 is fixed to the hollow shaft by a pin 149 in the central portion 127a of the bore. At the junction between the central portion 127a and the inner flared portion 1271) there is a collar 147 on the rod resting against a shoulder in the bore. The rod 143 also extends beyond the shaft 126 in the direction of the inner, i.e. free, end of the spindle. The inner end portion of rod 148 is slidably located in a bore 140a in the outer end portion of insert 139. At the inner part of bore portion 127b, rod 148 is formed with an inwardly flared cam surface 148a, which meets at its inner end a cylindrical surface 14% of enlarged diameter relative to the normal diameter of rod 148.

Fig. 10 shows rod 148 in its extreme outer position relative to insert 139. In this position, ball 146 rests upon the cylindrical surface 14% formed on rod 148, so that prong 144 is pivoted to retracted position. Ball 146 also abuts the cam surface 127b. As rod 148 is moved inwardly, ball 146 rides between the cam surfaces 127b and 148a, so that prong 144 is moved to extended position. In the position of Fig. 9, ball 146 abuts rod 143 outwardly of cam surface 148a.

In order to control the movement of shaft 126 relative to insert 139, a track assembly is fixed to the inner face of frame arm 58. Said track assembly comprises parallel upper and lower, vertically and laterally extending guide arms 150 and 151 which are fixed to arm 58 by means of bracket 152. The inner ends of arms 150 and 151 are joined by rod 153.

A pair of vertical plates 154 are located adjacent the respective sides of arm 151 and extend above and below this arm. The upper ends of plates 154 are connected by inner and outer lateral pivots 155 upon which wheels 156 are respectively turnably mounted. These wheels 156 are positioned frictionally and turnably between arms 159 and 151. Accordingly, the plates 154 are laterally movable.

To prevent the prongs or pins 144 from damaging the bearing if the sleeve 125 seizes, a ball 157 is provided as a safety measure. This ball is held frictionally between the plates 154. In the position of Fig. 10, ball 157 rests upon the surfaces 134a and 134b, and also abuts the outer end face of flange 137a. Accordingly, as rod 129 is forced inwardly, shaft 126 and sleeve 125 are moved inwardly in unison, because the force on shaft 126 is applied through ball 157 to sleeve 125, so that prong 144 remains retracted. However, arm 151 has a recess 153 in its lower face, near its inner end. Just before the end of the inward stroke of rod 129, ball 157 moves into vertical registration with recess 158. The force on flange 137a is now relaxed, because ball 157 rides upwardly on the inwardly moving cam surface 134a into recess 158. Accordingly, sleeve 125 ceases to move, and shaft 126 moves inwardly relative to sleeve 125, and prong 144- is extended (Fig. 9). At the end of the inward stroke of rod 129, ball 157 rests upon surface 134. During the outward, i.e. retracting, stroke of rod 129 the rod carries the shaft 126 laterally outward until the ball 157 is free to return to its position of Fig. 10. Almost instantaneously thereafter shoulder A w n vv 4.. l

126a of the hollow shaft 126 engages shoulder 125a of the sleeve 125 and the sleeve is carried along with: shaft 126 to its retracted position.

In order to guide towel T onto the spindles 36, a laterally extending and generally vertical guide plate 160 is provided (see Figs. 2, 3 and 4). This. plate 160 extends substantially between the outer endsof the spindles 36 (when they are in operating position), and is located behind said spindles. Said plate 160-is turnably mounted on a lateral pivot rod 162 which extends between plates 62 and 63. At the upper corners of the plate above the pivot rod 162 are a pair of rearwardly extending arms 161 and there are tension springs 163 which respectively couple said arms 16.1 to the respective plates 62 and 63 so as to urge thelower endof plate. 160 forwardly. The lower end portion 160a of plate 160 has a concave front face which normally is proximate to and conforms in shape to the lower rear portions of spindle 36, as shown in Fig. 2. It will benoted that the plate is shaped to permit the pins to pass beyond themain face of the plate as, by slots 159 (see Fig. 4).

As shown in Fig. 2, towel T drops vertically downwardly from conveyor portion 32a, slightly behind the spindles 36. Towel T is guided downwardly and forwardly by plate 160, until its leading portion is located against plate portion 16011, Where it is gripped by the pins 144 of the turning spindles 36. As towel. T is wound upon spindles 36, plate 160 is gradually forced rearwardly to its broken line position of Fig. 2. Y

The output conveyor When pins 144 are retracted andspindles 36 are withdrawn outwardly from the completely rolled towel T, it drops downwardly upon any suitable conveyor 37. This conveyor 37 may have a longitudinal end roller 164 turnably supported by front and rear brackets 165, as well as a lateral conveyor tape 166 passing over, around and under roller 164. Other details of conveyor 37 are omitted, as any suitable conveyor maybe used to carry the rolled towel away from my improved machine in a lateral or other suitable direction.

The control circuit and control devices As is shown diagrammatically and schematically in Fig. 11, I provide a pairof. electric power lines 200- and 201 having respective terminals 202 which are adapted to be connected to a source of alternating voltage (not shown), preferably 115 volts, 60' cycles. Various electric devices are connected between lines200. and 201.

In the drawings, relay coils are generally designated by reference letters without subscripts, and the switches or contacts operated by each relay coil are designated by the same reference letters as the relay coil, with the addition of numerical subscripts. All valves, switches and relay contacts areshown in their normal positions.

The normally open towel presence switch TPS. and towel presence relay coil. TPR are connected in series betweenline 200 and line 201. The normally open towel presence relay contacts TPR are connected in series with normally closed left guide switch GSL and the solenoid of left solenoid valve SVL between lines 200 and 201. Said contacts TPR; are also connected in series with normally open right guide switch GSR and the solenoid of the right solenoid valve SVR between lines 200 and 201 by a connection in parallel. Said valves SVL and SVR are closed when their controlling switches. are open.

Tube 15 is connected to a source of compressed air CA (not shown). Valve SVR connects tube 15 to line 13-, which in turn leads to port 12 of air cylinder 7. Tube 13 is also connected by valveSVL to'piece 14 and hence to the atmosphere.

When switch TPS is closed by the presence of a towel T under it, relay TPR is energized, and contacts TPR are closed. In the desired lateral position of carriage 35 relative to the towel edge Ta (shown in Fig. 11.),towel "'10 edgeTa is located between switch levers. 9 and 10. Ac,- cordingly, switches GSL and GSR are: both open, the solenoids of valves SVL and, SVR are not energized, and valves SVL and SVR are closed (see Figs. 4, 7, 8 and 11). The air retained in chamber 7 and line 13 balances the force of spring 4, and carriage 35 is stationary.

If towel edge Ta shifts laterally relative to carriage 35 so as to actuate lever 10 and close switch GSR, as an example, the solenoid of valve SVR is energized, and valve SVR is opened so as to admit compressed air into chamber 7 and force carriage 3,5 in the direction of arrow R,'against the action of spring 4. This action is stopped when towel edge Ta is again in its desired position relative to carriage 35.

If towel edge Ta shifts laterally relative to carriage 35 so as to be clear of lever 9 and thereby permit switch GSL to open, as an example, the solenoid of valve SVL is energized and valve SVL is opened. Spring 4 can then move carriage 35 in the direction of arrow L, the air in chamber 7 being now able to leak into the atmosphere. This action is stopped when towel edge Ta is again in its desired position relative to carriage 35.

Normally open towel presence relay contacts TPR current rectifier 203 and blower timer relay coil BT are connected in series between lines 200 and 201. Condenser 25 is connected in parallel with coil BT. Normally closed towel presence relay contacts TPR normally open blower timer relay contacts BT and the solenoid of normally open blower valve GV are connected in series between lines 200 and 201.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 11, a lateral air tube 204 is fixedly mounted by any suitable means on carriage 35 in front of plate 160, on about the same level as and rearwardly of glue roller 106. Tube 204 has a plurality of laterally spaced air outlet holes 205. Valve GV connects an inlet end of tube 204 to tube 206 and hence to the source of compressed air CA. The other end of tube 204 is closed by any suitable means.

While switch TPS is closed (relay coil TPR being then energized), contacts TPR are closed so that coil ET is energized and contacts BT are closed. At this time, however, contacts TPR are open so that the solenoid of valve G" is not energized. When the trailing end of the towel T passes beyond the towel presence switch TPS the switch flies open. After switch TPS opens, contacts TPR open, but coil BT remains energized for a selected time interval as the result of the discharge therethrough of the electric energy stored by condenser 25. During this selected time interval, both sets of contacts TPR and BT are closed and the solenoid of valve GV is energized. As a result, compressed air CA is forced into tube 204 and out of the holes 205. As shown in broken lines in Fig. 2, the air blows the trailing end of towel T against glue roller 106 so that glue is applied to the inner face of the towel. Accordingly, the trailing end of the towel is glued to the roll at the completion of the winding operation.

After the selected time interval, coil ET is de-energized,

contacts BT open again and valve GV opens.

Normally open blower timer relay contacts 3T current rectifier 207 and spindle valve timer relay coil ST are connected in series between lines 200 and 201. Condenser 26 is connected in parallel with coil ST. Normally closed blower timer relay contacts BT normally open spindle valve timer relay contacts 8T and the solenoid of spindle valve SVO are connected in series between lines 200 and 201. Normally closed spindle valve timer relay contacts 8T and normally open blower timer relay contacts BT, are connected in parallel with each other and in series with the solenoid of spindle valve SVI between lines 200 and 201.

The air cylinders 128 contain pistons 208 to which the piston rods 129 which control the lateral position of spindles 36 are connected. The inner ends of cylinders 128 have ports which are connected by air tube 2 2. The outer ends of cylinders 128 have further ports which are connected by air tube 19. The source of compressed air is connected through tube 16, tube 17, valve SVO (in one position thereof) and tube 23 to tube 22, and is also connected through tube 16, tube 17, valve SVI (in one position thereof) and tube'18 to tube 19. In the normal position of valve SVO, tube 22 is connected through tube 23, valve SVO and tube 24 to the atmosphere. In the normal position of valve SVI, tube 19 is connected through tube 18, valve SVI and tube 27 to the atmosphere.

Since contacts BT are closed while coil ET is energized, coil ST is energized during the entire time that switch TPS is closed and also during the selected time interval after switch TPS opens during which coil BT remains energized. While coils BT and ST are both energized, contacts BT are open and contacts ST 1 are closed. Accordingly, valve SVO is in its normal position in which tube 22 is connected to the atmosphere. Also while coils BT and ST are both energized, contacts 3T are closed and contacts 8T are open. Accordingly, the solenoid of valve SVI is energized, and compressed air enters cylinders 128 through tube 19 to maintain spindles 36 in their inner or operating positions.

After coil ET is de-energized, contacts BT open. However, coil ST remains energized for a second selected time interval, as a result of the discharge therethrough of the-electric energy stored by condenser 26. During this second selected time interval, contacts ST are closed and contacts BT are closed, and contacts 8T are open and contacts BT, are open. Therefore, the solenoid of valve SVO is energized and the solenoid of valve SVI is no longer energized. Therefore, compressed air enters cylinders 128 through tube 22 and leaves cylinders 128 through tube 19, and spindles 36 are moved to their outer or withdrawn positions.

At the end of the second selected time interval, when both coils BT and ST are de-energized, contacts ST close again and contacts ST open, so that the solenoid of valve SVI is energized and the solenoid of valve SVO is de-energized. The spindles 36 are accordingly immediately returned to their operating positions.

Towel stain relay coil TSR is connected in parallel with the solenoid of valve SVO and is energized only during the second selected time interval above defined when coil ST is still energized and after coil ET is no longer energized.

A norm-ally open, red push button switch R, current rectifier 209 and red ink relay coil RR are connected in series between lines 200 and 201. As an example, switch R may be located at the input end of the ironer into which towel T is fed before it is rolled, and may be momentarily closed by an operator if the towel is observed to be torn. Condenser 29 is connected in parallel with coil RR. Normally closed towel stain relay contacts TSR and normally open red ink relay contacts RR are connected in series with each other and in parallel with the contacts of switch R.

The normally open towel stain relay contacts TSR normally open red ink relay contacts RR and the solenoid of normally closed red ink valve RV are connected in series between lines 200 and 201. As shown in Figs. 2, 6 and 11, a container 210 which holds red ink is connected at its lower end through tube 212 and valve RV to outlet spout 211. The whole assembly is mounted upon frame 31 with container 210 below and in front of spindles 36 and with spout 211 aimed at the towel roll. Container 210 has an inlet tube 214 at its upper end which is connected through tube 213 to the source of compressed air.

If switch R is momentarily closed while the towel is passing through the ironer, relay coil R is energized, and contacts RR are closed. Therefore, coil RR remains energized even after switch R opens. Relay contacts RR are closed, but contacts TSR remain open. When relay TSR is energized, during the second selected time interval while spindles 36 are being withdrawn from the towel roll, contacts TSR open. However, relay RR re mains energized during at least part of said selected second time interval by the discharge therethrough of the electric energy stored by condenser 29. During this time interval, both sets of contacts RR and TSR are closed, and the solenoid of valve RV is energized. As a result, red ink is squirted on the towel roll. As soon as either of the coils TSR or RR is de-energized, the squirting of red ink stops.

Normally open blue ink switch B may be used to cause blue ink to be squirted upon towel T to indicate that it is stained, the circuit arrangement being of the same type in the two instances. Switch B, rectifier 209a and blue ink relay coil BR are connected in series between lines 200 and 201. Condenser 28 is in parallel with coil BR. Relay contacts TSR and BR are connected in series with each other and in parallel with the contacts of switch B. Contacts TSR and BR and the solenoid of blue ink valve BV are all connected in series between lines 200 and 201.

Container 210a for the blue ink is connected at its lower end through tube 212a and valve BV to outlet spout 211a. The assembly is mounted upon frame 31 with container 210a below and behind spindles 36 and with spout 211a aimed at the towel roll. Container 210a has an inlet tube 214a at its upper end which is connected through tube 213 to the source of compressed air.

The operation of the circuit controlled by switch B is identical to the operation of the circuit controlled by switch R, and need not be described.

Summary of operation Although the mode of operation of the various components of the machine has been described in detail, it will be convenient at this point to give an over-all description of the mode of operation of the machine.

While the machine is in operation, spindles 36 are constantly turning, the conveyor 37 is constantly moving,

the glue rollers 106 and 113 are constantly turning and the conveyor tape 47 is constantly moving. Towel T is fed forwardly on conveyor tape 40, and the leading portion of towel T then drops vertically downwardly behind roller 54 onto tape 47. The leading portion of towel T is then carried upwardly and forwardly upon tape 47 and under pressure roller 54. Towel T then continues to travel forwardly on tape 47 as shown in Fig. 1.

Towel T next passes under and closes the switch TPS carried by the laterally movable carriage 35. Immediately, the carriage-shifting mechanism comes into operation, and the lateral position of carriage 35 relative to frame 31 is constantly shifted in response to the lateral position to the towel side edge Ta. This continues as long as towel T is passing under the switch TPS.

Towel T next drops vertically downwardly in front of roller 46, as shown in Fig. 2. Spindles 36 are in their normal operating positions, and prongs 144 are in their normal extended positions. The leading portion of towel T rides downwardly and forwardly on the tensioning plate and is guided thereby into contact with the prongs 144. Towel T is accordingly engaged upon the spindles 36 and is wound thereon by the rotary movement of said spindles.

At this point it is important to note that the linear speed of the towel T, as it is wound upon the spindles 36, decreases as the diameter of the towel roll increases. Accordingly, the speed of rotation of the spindles 36 is selected so as to tend to impart an initial speed of the outermost layer of the towel roll which is substantially greater than the linear speed of movement of the conveyor tape 47. The provision of the slip clutch 87 (Fig. 5) makes it possible for sleeve 71 to turn at a slower rate than shaft 1, so that the back tension on the spindles exerted by the towel T to reduce the speed of rotation of spindles 36, while permitting spindles 36 to exert the desired tension on the towel.

13 Preferably, even when thetowel roll' reaches its full diameter, spindles 36 tend to turn sufiiciently fast so that the linear speed of the outer towel layer is still slightly greater than the linear speed of conveyor tape 47, so that there is still some slippage of clutch 87 and some tension exerted on the towel by spindles 36.

Immediately after the trailing end edge of towel T passes switch TPS, compressed air begins to be blown through the openings 205 of tube 204 so as to blow the trailing end portion of towel T against glue roller 106 as shown in broken lines in Fig. 2. Preferably, this continues until just before the trailing end edge of towel T passes glue roller 106. As a result, a substantial portion of the outermost layer of the towel roll is glued to the next to outer layer of the roll, this gluing action being aided by the pressure of plate 160 upon the periphery of the roll.

Immediately after the towel roll is completely rolled, pins 144 are retracted and spindles 36 are then withdrawn from the hollow core of the roll, so that the towel roll drops downwardly upon conveyor 37. While spindles 36 are being withdrawn, red ink or blue ink is squirted upon the towel if the appropriate red switch R or blue switch B was momentarily closed while the towel was passing through the ironer.

While I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, and have indicated various changes, omissions and additions which may be made therein, it will be apparent that various other changes, omissions and additions may be made in my invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof.

The important features of the present invention reside in:

(a) the movement upward and downward of the input belts to accept and advance the leading edges of the towel as it comes from the ironer;

(b) the retractable spindles for winding up the towel;

(c) the funnel plates which are hinged together and control the speed of wind-up through screw-mechanisms;

(d) the device for catching the end of the towel and applying adhesive thereto;

(e) the switch actuated by the. end of the towel which causes the spindles to retract the ejecting roll;

(1) the mechanism for causing spindles to come together again to start a new operation.

I claim:

1. An automatic machine for rolling up towels and the like comprising a frame, a pair of opposed spindles having a common axis associated with the frame, means to project the two spindles toward each other to a dis: tance less than the width of the desired towel roll so that they form a mandrel on which the towel may be rolled up, said means also being adapted to retract the spindles, and pins adapted to protrude radially from the spindles to engage the leading end of a towel, in combination with means associated with the spindles to push the pins radially out when the spindles are advanced toward each other to normal operating position and to retract them into the spindles before the latter are moved apart out of the core of the towel roll, and means to rotate the spindles.

2. An automatic machine for rolling up towels and the like according to claim 1 in which there are plate means mounted on the frame for pressing the towel into engagement with the pins; whereby automatic engagement of the leading end of the towel is achieved.

3. An automatic machine for rolling up towels and the like according to claim.2 in which in the plate means there is a laterally extending pivoted guide plate and springs tending to urge the'lower end of the plate toward the pins, said plate being adapted to permit the pins to pass beyond the surface of the plate opposing the spindles to ensure engagement of the pins in the towel.

4. An automatic machine for rolling up towels and the like according to claim 3 in which there are slots in 14 the plate adapted to permit the pins to pass into them as the pins rotate and thus to ensure engagement of the pins in the leading end of the towel, and the plate is curved to follow the curve of the spindles to assist in. wrapping the towel around the spindles.

5. An automatic machine for rolling up towels and the like according to claim 1 in which the pins are pivoted inside the spindles and there are locks in the pin pushing means to hold the spindles against retraction until the pins are retracted into the spindles.

6. An automatic machine for rolling up towels and the like according to claim 1 in which there is a carriage mounted for lateral movement on the frame and the spindles are supported on the carriage, in combination with means for feeding the towel longitudinally toward the carriage to be wound on the spindles as a temporary mandrel, and means for shifting the carriage laterally in accordance with the lateral changes of position of the towel.

7. An automatic machine for rolling up towels and the like comprising a frame, a carriage mounted thereon for lateral movement, a pair of opposed hollow spindles having a common axis carried by the carriage, pneumatic means to project the two spindles toward each other to a distance less than the width of the desired towel roll so that they form a mandrel on which the towel may be rolled up, said means also being adapted to retract the spindles, pins in the spindles adapted to protrude radially from the spindles to engage the leading end of a towel, in combination with cam means associated with the spindles and the pneumatic projecting means adapted to push the pins radially out only after the spindles are fully projected toward each other and to retract them into the spindles before the latter are moved apart out of the core of the towel roll, and means adapted to rotate the spindles while in their operating position and during retraction.

8. An automatic machine for rolling up towels and the like according to claim 1 in which there is a carriage mounted for lateral movement on the frame and the spindles are supported on the carriage, and means for feeding the towel longitudinally toward the carriage, in combination with towel presence sensing means adjacent the towel in advance of the spindles and towel edge sensing means in substantially the same line transverse to the direction of movement of the towel as the towel presence sensing means, said edge sensing means being adapted to control adjustment of the lateral position of the towel whenever the towel presence means reports a towel present; whereby lateral adjustment of the towel is obtained without spurious carriage movement.

9. An automatic machine for rolling up towels and the like comprising a frame, a pair of opposed spindles having a common axis associated with the frame, means to project the two spindles toward each other to a distance less than the width of the desired towel roll so that they form a mandrel on which the towel may be rolled up, said means also being adapted to retract the spindles, and means to rotate the spindles, in combination with towel presence sensing means adjacent the towel in advance of the mandrel to sense the passage of the trailing end of the towel, timing means triggered by the sensing means to cause retraction of the spindles only after the trailing end of the towel has had time to become wound on the mandrel, and a second timing means adapted to cause return of the spindles to operative projected position only after a delay to permit the towel roll to be ejected.

10. In a fully automatic machine for rolling towels and the like, a frame, a pair of rotatable spindles having a common, substantially horizontal axis and mounted on said frame in normal proximate relationship and axially movable apart toward temporary remote relationship, pins mounted on said spindles and normally protruding radially outwardly therefrom and radially movable to temporary retracted positions, means mounted on said frame for rotating said spindles and for feeding a towel downwardly toward said spindles in a general position to be threaded thereon, guide means movably mounted on said frame and normally positioned relative to said spindles to guide said towel into engaging contact with said pins and movable away from said spindles by the increasing bulk of the towel as it is rolled on said spindles, and means for first retracting said pins and then moving said spindles apart and out of the core of the towel roll.

11. A towel rolling machine in which the roll towel forms its own core comprising laterally reciprocable axially aligned spindles, retractable radially outstanding pins in the ends of said spindles to engage the lateral edges of the initial end of the roll towel to form the center of the roll, means to withdraw said pins upon completion of the towel rolling, pneumatic means to move said spindles together to engage the initial end of the roll towel and to move them apart upon completion of the towel rolling, a guide plate extending obliquely downwardly to guide the initial end of the towel toward the spindles and having a curved lower end to guide the initial end into engagement with said pins, and pivotal control means for said plate at the upper end of the plate, said plate being moved outwardly by the increasing diameter of the towel roll spring means to bias said plate toward said towel, said plate being slotted to receive said retractable pins, and said spindles being rotated during reciprocation thereof.

12. The machine of claim 11, a laterally movable carriage for carrying said spindles and lateral sensing'means to sense the edge positions of the towel and to control the movement of the towel in respect to the carriage.

16 113. The machine of claim 11, a sensing means to sense the passage of the trailing edge of the roll towel, means to move the spindles outwardly to release the roll towel, a conveyor to receive the finished roll towel and means to return the spindles after the towel roll has been released.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,225,184 Segel May 8, 1917 1,248,542 Pope Dec. 4, 1917 1,346,356 Wenderhold July 13, 1920 1,369,124 Pope Feb. 22, 1921 1,513,054 Lipstate Oct. 28, 1924 1,824,782 Mitchell Sept. 29, 1931 1,901,949 Clark Mar. 21, 1933 1,955,917 Jung Apr. 24, 1934 1,959,742 Spitzglass May 22, 1934 1,979,310 Berry Nov. 6, 1934 2,157,811 Beach May 9, 1939 2,196,633 Johnstone Apr. 9, 1940 2,202,582 Higginbotham May 28, 1940 2,403,147 Westergaard July 2, 1946 2,434,128 Stanford Jan. 6, 1948 2,524,106 Hanson Oct. 3, 1950 2,526,502 Race Oct. 17, 1950 2,534,686 Strauss et a1. Dec. 19, 1950 2,537,588 Husson Jan. 9, 1951 2,573,188 Dyken Oct. 30, 1951 2,599,942 Roen June 10, 1952 2,736,507 Neese et al. Feb. 28, 1956 

